How to Level a Motorhome Easily: My eLam Electronic Level Review & Install
If you own an RV or motorhome in New Zealand, you already know about the "Campsite Tango." It's that beautiful dance where you pull into a DOC campsite, guess if the ground is flat, throw down some leveling ramps, inch forward, and then yell back to your partner, *"How's that?!"*
Spoiler alert: It's never flat.
Until today, my highly sophisticated motorhome leveling system consisted of a massive, clunky yellow spirit level slapped right on top of the glass stove—or one of those little T-shape levels that never seems to read the exact same level twice.
The Problem with Traditional RV Spirit Levels
Getting ready to install the new eLam electronic level in our van today, I had to do the tango one last time. I spent what felt like an eternity moving the van back and forth on our supposedly "level" concrete driveway, messing around with ramps and chocks until that bubble on the stove was absolute dead-center.
Honestly, wrestling the van to a perfect flat using the old spirit level was the longest and hardest part of this entire project. Once the stove was finally level, it was time to upgrade our RV accessories and join the 21st century.
Installing the eLam Level in a Motorhome
I had already downloaded the eLam app from our homepage, so opened the little level box, and slapped the double-sided tape onto the back of the unit.
I wanted the device completely out of the way, so I scoped out the cupboard that holds our Victron inverter. It's the perfect spot—hidden from view so it keeps the interior looking sharp, but still accessible enough to easily swap out the batteries when the time comes. It is towards the front of the motorhome and the same height as the bench.
Before committing to a permanent home, I temporarily placed the eLam in the cupboard and jumped into the driver's seat for a test run. I fired up the app, and the Bluetooth connection was absolutely perfect right from the cab. Confident I wouldn't lose signal while parking at our next campsite, I went back, peeled the tape backing, and stuck the unit permanently to the cupboard base.
(Can you see the level? Neither can I. Brilliant.)
Calibrating the App with Thule Levelling Ramps
Next up was the calibration, which made me feel like an absolute engineer. I grabbed a tape measure, went outside, and measured the gap between the two front wheels, punching the numbers straight into the app. Then, I measured the distance between the center of the front wheel to the center of the back wheel and entered that.
Finally, I tapped in the maximum height of my Thule levelling ramps, hit the "Configure" button, and boom—everything was instantly saved to the cloud.
Here is the absolute genius part of doing it this way: because I configured the app while my stove top was perfectly flat, the eLam will now always ensure the van isn't considered "level" until the *stove top* is level. It's great like that, because you get to set your own custom baseline for what "level" actually means for your unique campervan setup. My morning coffee will never slide off the counter again!
The Verdict: Is an Electronic RV Level Worth It?
All up, the actual installation of the eLam and punching in the measurements took less than 10 minutes.
I am officially retiring the yellow level to the tool shed. Next time we pull up to an uneven site, I won't even have to leave the driver's seat to know exactly which wheel needs a ramp.
If you're tired of the campsite tango and rolling out of bed, do yourself a favor and get one. Your marriage will thank you. And if you're a solo traveler? You've just eliminated the need to sprint back and forth from the cab to the kitchen a dozen times constantly checking your level.
Park up, level up, and put the kettle on.